I understand navigating the file system but I have a question regarding where to place certain files in certain packages. For example, in "B772_United_P3d_FSX.zip" there is a directory named "777-effects" and this is my question: Does the entire "777-effects" folder go into the effects folder with a resultant relative path to the files being "effects\777-effects\Opensky_vortex.fx" (to use one file as an example) or should the files be placed directly in the "effects" directory with the path being only "effects\Opensky_vortex.fx"?

**Edit** ... or now that I think of it, should "777-effects" be placed in the root of FSX (making it a sibling directory rather than a sub-directory)?

You shouldn't move that "777-effects" folder anywhere. That name is probably just to make it unique and explicit.Instead, you simply need to take all the files (and folders) located inside that folder, and move them directly into the FSX\Effects\ folder. That's all

In your example, all of the .fx files would end up directly inside FSX\Effects\.